Clip-on wheel weights, where to buy?

jhunt1x

jhunt1x

Joined
Jun 3, 2008
Messages
21
Location
Tellico Plains, TN
Bike
'99 ST1100
I am fond of the older clip-on wheel weights. They clip on the center rib of cast wheels and evenly distribute the weight on the left and right side of the wheel. You can pry them off and re-use them.

I keep a hand full of various denominations of weights on hand and swap them out as needed at each tire change. Eventually I'm going to need some replacements and I haven't been able to find any supplier online other than the guys who want to sell me a wheelbarrow load of them. I don't need that, I just need a handful of various sizes.

I am not interested in stick-on weights. Not at all. I can find those every time I mow along the highway at the campground. ;-)

Somebody knows where to find these things. I'm just hoping he's reading this thread and want to share his knowledge. ;-)
 
Thanks, Joe. I read that thread but I didn't see anything about where to buy the good weights. I don't want to step on anybody's review, but I've read that those beads are snake oil. I can't see how they'd work.
I'll be looking for you next month. I have to be careful how I post or I'll get moved to the Vendor section. I'm trying to be good, I really am. Contrary to published reports, we have plenty of pool-table-flat space for tents. ;-)
 
Hey Rob, long time no see. Thanks for the part numbers but remember, I'm a 'maggot. I'll strap a rock to it with a zip tie before I'll pay $11 for a weight. That's just the kind of guy I am. ;-) I'd gladly pay that much for a box full, but not for one. Pete Springer would disown me.

Hey, we're having a SME here next weekend. Throw a tent on that Sabre and come on down.
 
jhunt1x said:
Thanks, Joe. I read that thread but I didn't see anything about where to buy the good weights. I don't want to step on anybody's review, but I've read that those beads are snake oil. I can't see how they'd work.
I'll be looking for you next month. I have to be careful how I post or I'll get moved to the Vendor section. I'm trying to be good, I really am. Contrary to published reports, we have plenty of pool-table-flat space for tents. ;-)
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I'll bring some of those beads with me if you want to try them out... I'm not crazy about them when I used them in my truck and I just like to see a wheel being balanced so I'm not planning on using them on the bike.
 
Somebody here once observed that the clip-on weights are great until you have to place one right where one of the spokes meets the wheel.

--Mark
 
eh, that's OK, Joe. I used to work as an automotive tech and I've had pro training on tire balance and front end alignment. There's no way I'm going to put that stuff in one of my tires.

In my experience, greater than 99% of riders cannot detect imbalance in a rear tire by riding it. Modern bike tires just aren't that far out. Front tires are almost the same. You can sometimes feel a little vibration in the bars and if you have a bike where you can see the front wheel as you ride, you might notice it bouncing up and down.

Cupping is almost always associated with under-pressure or a sub-quality tire, not balance. Air 'em up to the limit, folks. You're not gaining anything by running a half-flat tire. And buy the good stuff. If you'll figure your actual cost per mile you'll find that Metzelers are cheaper than Cheng Shins.
 
When the spoke gets in the way, you put half the needed amount of weight on each side of the spoke. Works every time. See my other post about people being able to detect imbalance.
 
The right kind are scarce and expensive. You could also try here http://www.americanmototire.com/catalog/product_info.php?cPath=632_708_711&products_id=147

What I do is balance the wheel first and install a clip type if I have one. That way, it can stay there permanently. After mounting the tire, I will add the adhesive type if necessary. As long as you clean the wheel with isoproanol, apply pressure, they'll stay. Keep your stickies stored in plastic so the adhesive won't dry out. I have seen shops just kinda stick them on and of course they're gonna fall off one day.

Agree most can't detect minor imbalance. Bike tires just don't have the mass like car tires.
 
I've tried balancing my wheels with the tires off. They're not off enough to show up. I suppose if you really want to get picky about it you could rotate the tire so the heaviest part of the tire lines up with the lightest part of the wheel but I just can't work myself up to caring that much about it.

I'm gonna hit Six Mile Cycle one day this week (a bike bone yard near Deals Gap) and see if they'll let me wander through the yard and pluck some weights.
 
jhunt1x said:
I've tried balancing my wheels with the tires off. They're not off enough to show up. I suppose if you really want to get picky about it you could rotate the tire so the heaviest part of the tire lines up with the lightest part of the wheel but I just can't work myself up to caring that much about it.

I'm gonna hit Six Mile Cycle one day this week (a bike bone yard near Deals Gap) and see if they'll let me wander through the yard and pluck some weights.
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Never been that lucky..... most wheels I check are out 10 grams or so. Avons don't have balance marks (at least the ones I've had).
 
RaYzerman said:
Never been that lucky..... most wheels I check are out 10 grams or so. Avons don't have balance marks (at least the ones I've had).
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Ten grams seems high to me, never had to go over 4-5.

Have you ever tried to balance the rim by itself? It can make a diff sometimes.
 
I once balanced the wheels of a nighthawk by siliconing on extra 10mm nuts, which for some reason I had a whole slew of..... When I sold the bike a year and a half later, the nuts were still there. I think you could do the same by buying lead wire at a fishing store, cutting lengths, flattening them, and gluing them on with silicon.....
 
I obtained many of my clip on weights from a local Honda dealer (now out of business) who sold them to me used very cheap while I was buying other parts there. I've also purchased some on sale from www.directlineparts.com in one of their sales. (there's one probably coming up over the Memorial Day weekend). Info on that sale can be found at www.gl1800riders.com.

I save all my used weights and have enough to last me for the foreseeable future.

Tim
 
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